1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of depaneling systems, and in particular, to tooling fixtures and methods of using a tooling fixture for securing solid-matrix panels for cutting.
2. Statement of the Problem
There are a variety of machines used to cut Printed Circuit Boards (PCB) out of stock panel. Some stock panels have PCBs that are already populated with components, and other PCBs are unpopulated. Some machines on the market have a saw with a blade or router bit that is fixed in the machine and faces upward. The machines also have movable tooling positioned above the saw. To cut the PCBs out of a panel, the panel is clamped into a tooling fixture. The tooling fixture then moves the panel over the saw to cut the PCBs from the panel.
Other machines have a movable saw that is positioned above the tooling instead of below the tooling. To cut the PCBs out of a panel, the panel is clamped into or set onto a tooling fixture. The tooling fixture then moves into place underneath the saw. The saw moves over the panel to cut the PCBs from the panel. Some examples of depaneling systems are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,648, U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,740, U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,554, U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,789, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,615, which are all incorporated by reference to the same extent as if fully included herein.
A stock panel may have different configurations for cutting. One type of stock panel has multiple PCBs that are spaced out on the panel. There are unused portions of stock panel between the PCBs. To facilitate routing of the PCBs from the stock panel, the unused portions of stock panel between the PCBs may be pre-routed. The unused portions of stock panel between the PCBs are partially cut leaving tabs holding the PCBs in place.
When the PCBs are later cut from the stock panel, the depaneling system cuts the remaining tabs and discards the waste (the stock panel remaining after cutting the PCBs). One problem with this type of stock panel is that the area of the stock panel is not fully utilized, as the unused portions of stock panel are needed between the PCBs. Also, the waste left over after cutting has to be discarded by the depaneling system.
Another type of stock panel is a solid-matrix panel. In a solid-matrix panel, the PCBs are adjacent to one another on the panel with no space or unused portions between the PCBs. Solid-matrix panels more efficiently use the area of the stock panel by eliminating the unused portions of stock panel between the PCBs. Unfortunately, solid-matrix panels are more difficult to cut. One way to cut the solid-matrix panels is to V-score the panel along the edges of the PCBs. The PCBs can then be broken out of the panel by hand.
Automated cutting of a solid-matrix panel to remove the PCBs is more difficult. The solid-matrix panel is registered a first time by clamping the solid-matrix panel onto a tooling fixture. A router or saw then makes cuts on the solid-matrix panel along a first axis. The cutting along the first axis cuts the solid-matrix panel into strips. The strips are then registered a second time by re-clamping each strip onto the same or different tooling fixture. The router or saw then makes cuts along a second axis to cut out the individual PCBs.
Unfortunately, the solid-matrix panel has to be registered on the tooling fixture more than once in order to cut the panel. Multiple registrations can be inefficient to the depaneling process. Also, individual PCBs may need registration holes in order to secure the individual PCBs for cutting. It may be desirable to register a solid-matrix panel on a tooling fixture a single time to allow for automated cutting of the solid-matrix panel.